Achillea plant named ‘Desyel’

ABSTRACT

A new  Achillea  plant named ‘Desyel’ particularly distinguished by the yellow flowers on strong upright inflorescences, compact and mounding habit with very fine fern-like medium-green foliage.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Achilleatormentosa×millifolium.

Varietal denomination: ‘Desyel’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Achillea, botanically known asAchillea tormentosa×millifoium, and hereinafter referred to by thevariety name ‘Desyel’.

‘Desyel’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas yellow flowers on strong upright inflorescences, compact andmounding habit with very fine fern-like medium-green foliage.

‘Desyel’ originated from a hybridization made in summer 2002 in acontrolled breeding environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands.

The female parent was the unpatented, proprietary plant designated‘G6331-1’, a Achillea tomentosa species with yellow flowers. ‘G6331-1’has less vigor and a smaller plant habit than ‘Desyel’.

The male parent of ‘Desyel’ was an unknown Achillea milliforium speciesplant. The resultant seed was sown in March 2003.

‘Desyel’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross in July 2003 in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen,Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Desyel’ was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in July2003 in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in July 2003, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated thatthe combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Desyel’ arefirmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexualreproduction.

‘Desyel’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onOct. 6, 2009 (09-6733) and in CVPO on Sep. 23, 2010 (2009/1852).‘Desyel’ has not been made publicly available more than one year priorto the filing of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Achillea as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘Desred’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type. The photographic drawing shows a floweringpotted plant of the new variety, and a close-up of the flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in late August 2010 fromplants growing in an outdoors trial in Gilroy, Calif. These plants weregrowing in gallon pots and were approximately 20 weeks of age.

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in September 2010 inGilroy, Calif. on 20-22 week old plants that were growing in 6-inch potsgrowing in a greenhouse.

Color Chart used: Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.) 2001

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘DESYEL’ AND A SIMILARVARIETY Achillea ‘Taygetea’ ‘Desyel’ (Unpatented) Flower color: Lighteryellow More yellow Plant height: Shorter Taller Leaf size: SmallerBigger Flowering response: 3 weeks earlier Later

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Compact and mounding plant habit;            strong inflorescences; freely flowering habit.        -   Plant height.—7-8 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—20-24 cm.        -   Plant width.—30-35 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—About 4-6 days at about 22            degrees C.        -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—About 12-15 days            at 22 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—Between RHS 138A and            RHS 138B.        -   Lower surface.—Closest to RHS 138B.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—Between RHS 138A and RHS            138B.        -   Lower surface.—Closest to RHS 138B.        -   Length.—10-13 cm.        -   Width.—2.0-2.4 cm.        -   Shape.—Ligulate.        -   Base shape.—Cuncate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Very finely dissected giving a fern-like appearance.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Pilose.        -   Lower surface.—Pilose.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 138D.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 138D.-   Stem:    -   -   Color of stem.—RHS 138B to RHS 138C but a little more            yellow-green.        -   Length of stem.—About 25 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.4 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—2.0-3.0 cm.        -   Texture.—Pilose.        -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 138B to RHS 138C but a little more            yellow-green.        -   Length of peduncle.—2.5-3.0 cm.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Pilose or dendritic hairs.        -   Color of pedicel.—RHS 138C.        -   Length of pedicel.—0.4-0.5 cm.        -   Pedicel diameter.—0.075 cm.        -   Texture.—Pilose or dendritic hairs.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Rotate composite inflorescence form; inflorescences            arranged in terminal or axillary compound cymes.        -   Blooming habit.—Free-flowering throughout the summer.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—Approximately 200.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 7 days.        -   Fragrance.—Faint.-   Cyme:    -   -   Diameter.—6-7 cm.        -   Height.—4 cm.-   Bud (just when opening/showing color):    -   -   Color.—RHS 7C.        -   Length.—0.6-0.7 cm.        -   Width.—0.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovoid.-   Immature inflorescence:    -   -   Diameter.—0.5 cm.        -   Color of ray florets, upper surface.—RHS 3A.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 4A.-   Mature inflorescence:    -   -   Diameter.—0.8-0.9 cm.        -   Depth/height.—0.7 cm.        -   Total diameter of ‘disc’.—0.3-0.35 cm.        -   Receptacle height.—0.4-0.5 cm.        -   Receptacle diameter.—0.35 cm.-   Ray florets:    -   -   Average quantity of florets.—4-5 in 1 whorl.        -   Color of florets, upper surface.—RHS 3A.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 4A.        -   Length.—0.3 cm.        -   Width.—0.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex shape.—Irregularly emarginate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Papillose.        -   Lower surface.—Papillose.-   Disc florets:    -   -   Average quantity of florets.—About 20-25.        -   Color of florets.—RHS 13B with RHS 138B basally.        -   Length.—0.5 cm.        -   Width.—0.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Tubular.        -   Apex shape.—5-pointed.-   Phyllaries:    -   -   Quantity.—About 20.        -   Color, upper surface.—RHS 145C.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 145B.        -   Length.—0.2-0.4 cm.        -   Width.—0.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Based.—Fused.        -   Margins.—Entire with papery edges.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous.        -   Lower surface.—Pilose or dendritic hairs.-   Reproduction organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—Found on both floret types.        -   Pistil.—1.        -   Length.—0.4-0.5 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 155C.        -   Style length.—0.3-0.4 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 13C.        -   Stigma shape.—Bi-parted.        -   Ovary color.—Not observed.        -   Androcium.—Found only on disc florets.        -   Stamens.—5.        -   Color of filaments.—RHS 155C.        -   Length of filaments.—0.3 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 12C.        -   Anther length.—0.1 cm.        -   Anther shape.—Ovate to rounded.        -   Color of pollen.—RHS 14B.        -   Pollen amount.—Good.        -   Fertility/seed set.—Has not been observed on this hybrid.-   Disease/pest resistance: Disease/pest resistance has not been    observed on this hybrid.

1. A new and distinct variety of Achillea plant named ‘Desyel’substantially as illustrated and described herein.